Largo Man Charged in Kidnapping of Toddler

He rammed another man’s pickup truck to get away, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said.

LARGO – A Largo is accused of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend’s 2-year-old child and ramming another man’s pickup truck to get away. the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said.

Neither the child nor the driver of the pickup truck was injured.

Johnny A. Wise, 27, of Largo, was charged with one count each of kidnapping, attempted felony murder, criminal mischief, and violation of probation-possession of cocaine with intent to sell. He was charged with three counts each of violation of probation-sale of cocaine and violation of probation-aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Deputies said they were called to the residence of Jasmine Golden, 26, in the unincorporated Largo area about 10:04 p.m. Sunday (June 10) for a domestic disturbance.

When deputies arrived, Golden told deputies that Wise, her ex-boyfriend, became angry after an argument and broke several windows in her home. Golden said Wise threatened to shoot her and then kidnapped her 2-year-old son, Christopher Matthews. Wise fled with Christopher in a 1997 Buick LeSabre.

Golden’s stepfather, Raymond Golden, 59, saw the incident and followed in his 2007 Nissan Frontier truck, deputies said. When Raymond Golden pulled up behind him at the intersection of 6th Street SW and 4th Avenue SW, Wise put the Buick in reverse and accelerated at a high rate of speed intentionally crashing into Raymond Golden’s truck.

The truck sustained significant damage but Golden was not hurt.

After ramming the pickup truck, deputies said, Wise fled from the intersection in the Buick and bailed out of the vehicle with Christopher near the intersection of West Bay Drive and Ridge Road SW.

Deputies from the K-9 Unit and the Flight Unit responded and tried tracking Wise with no success.

While eluding deputies, Wise contacted one of Christopher’s family members and released the toddler to them. The boy was not hurt.

Deputies said were unable to locate Wise until about 9:34 p.m. Thursday (June 14) when detectives from the violent offender warrant unit found and arrested him near a Williams Drive residence.